Spiritual Reflection
National Sorry Day – Monday 26 May 2025
National Sorry Day, officially known as the National Day of Healing, is held annually in Australia on 26 May to commemorate the Stolen Generations. It is an important time for the broader Australian community to pause, reflect, and recognise the profound impact of past injustices.
We join with our Aboriginal Catholic Ministry in Minto, along with Elders, community, and members of our school communities, to acknowledge and show respect to this significant date. We also acknowledge that within our Catholic Education community, we have colleagues who are part of the Stolen Generations and that their lives have been impacted over the generations. We keep them in our thoughts and prayers.
“This day provides a chance for everyone in our community to come together in the healing process for the Stolen Generations who were forcibly removed from their family and communities.”
Sorry Day is more than just saying Sorry. It is a time to reflect on the deep sadness caused to so many. It is an important opportunity to acknowledge the past with sincerity and empathy, paving the path towards healing and reconciliation.
National Sorry Day is also a day to acknowledge the strength of the Stolen Generations Survivors and reflect on how we can all play a part in the healing process for our people and Nation. While this date carries great significance for the Stolen Generations and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, it is also commemorated by Australians right around the country.
The 26th of May every year since 1998 has been recognised as National Sorry Day. It was on this date in 1997 that the Bringing Them Home Report was tabled in our Federal Parliament, commemorating the Stolen Generations survivors. A report of truth telling, a report of heartache, a report of humanity and the injustices faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The report was a landmark truth telling process, sadly, almost 30 years on, a number of the report’s 54 recommendations remain unmet. The Stolen Generations survivors are ageing, and many do not have access to a full and fair redress scheme, or to the records that hold keys to their stories. We must ensure that the Stolen Generations survivors are supported to age with dignity and respect.
As Pope Francis stated: "We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future, spread love. Be poor among the poor. We need to include the excluded and preach peace. We, will never be disillusioned or lose our way if we are guided by God. We all have the duty to do good. Grace is not part of consciousness; it is the amount of light in our souls, not knowledge nor reason."
— Pope Francis (December 2020)
The message delivered in Alice Springs in 1986 continues to challenge us to positive, decisive action today.
“What has been done cannot be undone, but ‘what can now be done to remedy the deeds of yesterday must not be put off till tomorrow.’ It would seem that the remedies are well within our economic reach.”
— Pope John Paul II
However, amidst these challenges, the strength, perseverance, and dignity demonstrated by the First Australians offer a glimmer of hope for a future where these injustices are overcome, and their voices are heard and valued, paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable society.
When the Old Testament speaks of justice or righteousness, it means right relationship – and you can’t have right relationship with God unless you have right relationship with other people... and vice versa.